


bot

by pigeonpi



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Robots, aloha is a robot, i dont know if ill give this a happy ending or not, im not in a happy ending mood, it does have a happy ending!, kinda ooc?, mask is suffering, not much violence as i thought there would be, the graphic depictions of violence is for laaater, this is very bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27982605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonpi/pseuds/pigeonpi
Summary: After Aloha's disappearance, Full Moon makes a robot that looks and awful lot like Aloha in an attempt to cheer up Mask.One robot becomes two, two becomes three, and honestly, the robots are not helping.
Relationships: Aloha/Mask (Splatoon)
Kudos: 12





	bot

**Author's Note:**

> haha want some angst? no? well uh too bad heres this thing i made
> 
> its gonna be longer cause i actually planned this one out. wow. 
> 
> ive been putting off on writing this anyways but now is the perfect time to start this because my fear of abandonment is beating me up and calling me a bitch 
> 
> yes there is implied suicide. i dont ever explicitly state it in the text because im a little coward, but its very heavily implied.
> 
> i have such a heart wrenching way to end this but i havent gotten there yet
> 
> it turns out i am a coward and i did not do the bad ending

It had been two months.

Two months since that day in Aloha’s apartment.

Two months since Mask had found that note.

Two months since he had seen Aloha.

Two months without Aloha.

Two. Whole. Months.

He would have to go out soon. He was running low on food, and he had maybe five boxes of instant ramen left.

Mask hadn’t felt the will to go out for… two months.

People visited him sometimes. Full Moon, Desi, Jersey. Sometimes Army and Skull. It didn’t make a difference who visited.

It wasn’t Aloha.

It shouldn’t have been as devastating as it was, but the feeling of dread entering Aloha apartment that day was real. And the sinking feeling in his heart when he found the apartment Aloha-less, and the tears when he read the note on his bed.

Those were all real feelings.

But why had he cried?

Aloha was just one stupid inkling. An inkling who had always seemed to enjoy life, an inkling with a bright smile, a stupid little inkling that flirted with him too damn much.

An inkling who had always made an effort to learn the video games Mask played just to play with him. An inkling who teased him. An inkling that he honestly cared a lot about.

…Mask had caught feelings.

He hadn’t even meant to. Maybe he had spent too much time with the party squid, maybe Aloha had grabbed his hand too many times, it might’ve even been the little things Aloha had done for him when he had still been here.

Mask had caught feelings for Aloha.

And he hadn’t even realized until he was gone.

He had realized it while reading that note. His brain had helpfully supplied him with all of those happy memories he had of Aloha, and he had cried even harder, falling on his knees and clutching the pink futon laying on the bed.

He wanted Aloha to hold his hand one more time, he had thought. He wanted Aloha to hold _him_ , cradling him carefully in his arms. Maybe a kiss on the forehead. Comfort, that it was just a stupid prank, and Aloha wasn’t actually gone. An apology for making him fucking worry about him.

And that’s when it had hit him. Sitting there, crying, thinking of things had been and that could have been.

He had fallen in love.

And now he was gone. Mask could never tell him now.

He really missed Aloha, he thought, laying down on his bed. His room was filthy. It hadn’t been cleaned since the last time Army was here, and that had been quite a while ago.

He wished Aloha was here. Honestly, he wished anyone was here right now. He was lonely, and he didn’t really want to play video games. A shocker, but Mask couldn’t enjoy any of his precious games right now. Not right now.

He stared at a team fighting game laying in a pile of games on his floor. It was the last game he had played.

It was the last game he had played with him.

His heart hurt just thinking about it. The last interaction he had with Aloha was a video game.

Mask heard his door open, and he continued to lay on his bed. Whoever was visiting him would find him eventually, and if it was a robber, they could take all of his shit, for all he cared. As long as it wasn’t the few pictures he had left of Aloha.

He heard whispering. So there was more than one person.

A moment later, the face of Full Moon was in his bedroom doorway.

“Hi.” Full Moon waved.

Mask just lifted his hand slightly. “Hiii, Mooon.”

She came over and sat on the bed next to him. “Me and Jersey have been working on something! I just finished all of the testing, so we thought you might want to see!”

“Whaaat kiiind of thiiing?” Mask questioned. Okay, this was interesting. Maybe. The last thing Full Moon and Jersey had worked on blew up, so he wasn’t expecting a lot.

“Well- actually, I’ll show you! I brought him with me!” Full Moon got back up, and went back into the hallway.

“Hiiim? Oh.”

Standing in his doorway was someone- no, something, most likely, that looked an awful lot like Aloha. Except there was a box on his head. A tv?

“Mooon. What is thaaaat.” Mask kept his voice flat. His mind was in a frenzy, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on.

“It’s an Alohabot, boss!” Full Moon exclaimed. “I’ve been working on him since Aloha disappeared, and I figured you might like him.”

Mask was speechless. So, in a moment of great articulation, he just responded with a quiet, “whaaat the fuuuuck.”

“I’ll turn him on for you!” Before Mask could even open his mouth to protest, Full Moon pressed something on the back of the box, and the bot powered on.

It turned out that Mask was right, and the box was actually a tv, because when the bot turned on, a green smiley face appeared on the screen.

“Hi!” The bot spoke, and Mask almost teared up. It sounded exactly like him.

“…hiii.” Mask responded quietly.

“How are you?”

“I’m…” Mask paused, and looked at the bot. “…okaaay. Whaaat do I even caaall youuu?”

The bot seemed to think for a moment. “Weeell… I think I was made as a replacement for a person named Aloha? So just call me that!”

Call the bot Aloha?

Mask didn’t know how to feel about that. But it wasn’t like he was ever going to actually see Aloha again, so he nodded slowly.

“Okaaay, A… Alooohaaa.”

The bo- Aloha… Aloha walked over and joined him on the bed. “You’re… Masky, riiight?”

Mask looked up in alarm. “Hooow do youuu-” He looked at Full Moon. “Did youuu prograaam that iiinto him?”

Full Moon shook her head. “Nope, he’s got the memories of the original!”

Mask stared in disbelief. “Hooow the fuuuck does he haaaave Aloooha’s memoooriiies?”

Full Moon didn’t respond, and opted to pull out her phone. Well, he wasn’t getting any answers from her.

He sighed, and turned back to Aloha. “Yeaaah. I’m Maaask.”

Aloha tilted his head. “Nice to meet ya!” He stuck out a hand.

Mask stared at the hand, and then shook it begrudgingly. The hand was cold. Probably because Aloha was made out of metal.

After shaking, Aloha seemed to take a look around the room. “This place is a meeess, man.”

Mask just nodded.

Aloha looked at Mask again. “Can I, uh… can I help ya clean the place? I might not be too good at it, though.”

Mask shrugged. “Suuure.” He looked towards the doorway, wanting to ask Full Moon another question, but by the time he looked up, the girl was gone.

Well, okay.

Aloha had started putting some clothes into a laundry basket Mask had forgotten he owned. He stared at the bot for a minute or two, before pushing himself off of the bed, and going to his kitchen to get a garbage bag.

Sure, it was a bot doing the work, but it was a bot that looked like Aloha. He felt bad for it.

Once he had located a garbage bag within the chaos that was his kitchen, he shuffled back to his room, and was greeted with the bot holding a very full laundry basket.

“Oh, hi! Where’s your laundry room? I wanna start washin’ these!”

Geez, this bot was even more peppy than the real Aloha.

…actually, wait, this reminded him of Aloha before-

“Helloooo? Earth to Maskyyy~ Is there a soul in there?” Aloha was waving a hand in front of his face.

“Uhhh… yeaaah. Down the haaallway.” Mask replied.

The bot started to walk for the laundry room.

“Waiiit, Aloooha.” Mask called.

He stopped and turned. “Yeah, Masky?”

The more he talked to the bot, the more inkling he was becoming. “You’re aaa rooobot, riiight? Won’t youuu shooort-ciiircuit if you touuuch waaater?”

The tv adjusted slightly to show a surprised looking face, and then back to the smile. “That’s right, I am a robot! But the lass who built me made me waterproof! Something about surfin’?”

Mask laughed quietly. Of course Moon had made the bot waterproof. Of course she had. “Yeaaah. Thaaat makes seeense.”

A frown was now showing. “You know what the surfin’ thing is?”

Mask blinked. “Whaaat?”

The frown got bigger. “I don’t remember anything about surfin’…”

“Youu dooon’t- Whaaat?” Mask thought for a moment as the robot appeared to get more and more distressed. “Waiiiit, are youuu missing sooome memoriiiies?”

“Maybe?” Aloha replied. “Can you ask me some stuff so I can see if I remember any of it?”

Mask nodded. “Yeaaah. Do youuu remember the S4?”

Three dots appeared on the screen as Aloha thought. “Hm… yeah! That’s with… Army and Skull, right? Me and you and Army and Skull?”

“Yeaaah, that’s right.” Okay, so he remembered that. “Whaaat about Team Piiink?”

Aloha didn’t need to think this time. “Yeah yeah! That’s Scuba and Octo and Straw! And me, too?”

Mask nodded. “Yeah. Do youuu remeeember Team Bluuue?”

The dots appeared again. “Um… Go…ggles? Goggles and Specs. Idiotic synchronization power? There were two others, too! Bobble… Bobble Hat and Headphones!”

“Yeah, thaaat’s theeem.” He seemed to remember people from Inkopolis. So… “Heeey, Aloooha. Dooo you remeeember your moooom?”

“My…” Aloha trailed off. The screen went dark. “My mum…?”

“Yeaaah.” Mask was starting to realize this may have been a horrible idea.

Silence.

“…I remember her.” Aloha turned away. “I’m gonna do this laundry now!”

Mask was quiet as the bot retreated.

If the bot remembered Aloha’s mom, could he ask the bot about her? Aloha had never opened up about that, instead opting to stay silent, or change the subject.

…wait, no, he’d just be taking advantage of the poor bot.

If… if the bot remembered most things, then would the bot leave too?

Would he lose two Alohas?

…he didn’t think he could handle losing two of them. Even if the second was just a bot.

For the first time in months, Mask was cleaning his room. He was taking all of the garbage that had piled up in his room, and throwing it into the garbage bag he had acquired earlier.

At some point, Aloha came back, and they worked together to clean up the room, throwing the garbage into the garbage bag. Mask even had to go get another garbage bag to fit all of the trash.

It looked much better when they were done. Mask was looking around the now clean room when his apartment door opened again, and he turned to see Army and Skull.

“Hiiii.” Mask greeted the two. Aloha was in the laundry room again, transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer, and washing the bedsheets.

“Hello, Mask. I see your room is cleaner.” Army replied. “I’m grateful that you decided to clean that mess.”

Skull just nodded in greeting.

“Eh. I didn’t reaaally deciiide to.” Mask said. “Fuuull Mooon dropped off a roboo-”

At that moment, Aloha stepped out of the laundry room. “Woaaah, there’s more people! Hi there!”

“-ot.” Mask finished.

Army and Skull just stared at the bot.

“Is that… Aloha?” Army whispered.

Mask sighed. “He’s aaactually a booot. Mooon maaade him.”

“A bot?” Skull echoed.

“Yeaaah. He’s gooot most of Alooohaaa’s meeemories, tooo.”

Aloha was now standing close to them. “Oh! It’s Army and Skull! Hi curry boy! Hi candy man!”

Army started to cry. And he started to cry hard. “I know… he is just a robot, but… he sounds so… _real_ …”

Mask heard a small laugh from Skull. “Candy man?” Skull whispered. “Candy man?”

“Do we have to clean the kitchen too?” Aloha asked, completely unaffected by the crying from Army.

Mask just stared. “Uhh… yeaaah, I gueeess?”

“Okay!” Aloha looked back at Army and Skull. “Are they gonna help?”

“Sure.” Skull replied, already heading for the kitchen.

Army opened his mouth, as if to answer, but then just continued to cry. The tears were really coming down, and Aloha shuffled around as if he was uncomfortable.

“Uh… Army…?” The bot spoke softly, almost as if he was uncertain of what he was saying. Once he had gotten Army to look up at him, the bot opened up his arms. “Do you need a hug?”

The shorter inkling stared for a moment, before practically tackling the bot and hugging him. Aloha seemed surprised, but he carefully wrapped his arms around the sobbing inkling.

Mask stared at this interaction. _He_ wanted a hug.

Was he going to admit it to… this bot?

No.

He decided to instead follow Skull into the kitchen, and start throwing trash into a garbage bag.

Skull took notice. “Mask?”

“Yeaaah?”

“Are you angry about something?”

Cod damn, for someone who didn’t express emotions well, Skull sure knew how to label other people’s feelings.

“Maaaybe.” He threw another piece of trash into the garbage bag. “Why?”

“You’re throwing the trash in like it did you wrong.” Skull pointed at his hand as Mask prepared to throw away yet another piece of garbage.

Mask stared down at the trash in his hand. “…I’m nooot thaaat maaad.”

If Skull could raise an eyebrow, he would’ve done so now. “You’re jealous.”

“What?” Mask looked up. “Nooo I’m not!”

Skull stared at him. “You’re jealous of Army for getting a hug. And you miss Aloha.” Before Mask could protest, Skull continued. “The real Aloha. The bot isn’t enough for you, is it?”

Mask was silent.

“It’s not enough for you because you want the actual Aloha back. Right?”

Mask threw away more trash. “Maybe.”

They continued to clean together in silence. Eventually, Army and Aloha joined them, and then the kitchen was finally clean.

“Thiiis is the cleanest this kiiitchen’s been since I moooved iiin.”

Army sighed. “You really should clean more often, Mask.”

Mask shrugged. “I gueess.”

Skull grabbed Army’s hand. “We should go. Late.”

Army looked at his watch. “Oh! It is late.” He looked back up at Aloha and Mask. “We’ll come back next week?”

Mask nodded. “Yeaaah.”

He watched the other two leave, and then headed back to his bed, immediately laying down. He was really tired.

“Masky?” Oh. Right. Him.

He lifted his head to look at the bot. “Whaaat.”

Aloha rubbed an arm. “Where can I sleep?”

Mask patted the bed. “Juuust sleep heere.” He was too tired to actually deal with this. “Just dooon’t touch me.”

Aloha tilted his head. “Why?”

Mask groaned. “For fuuuck’s sake- just doon’t. Okaaay?”

The bot nodded. “Okay!” He laid down next to the cyan inkling.

And that was the end of the first day. Peace was kept for about two weeks, before one night, Aloha asked him a question.

“Why do you hate me so much?” A question that seemed to be asked innocently, but he could hear some pain underneath.

“Whaaat? I don’t haaate youu.” Mask was confused.

A frown was on the screen. “But my memory says… never mind! Carry on!”

Mask paused the game he was playing. “Whaaat does youuur memory saaay?”

The bot paused. “I… um…”

“Weeell?”

“…it says that you hated me. Aloha, anyways. And you’ve kinda been treatin’ me like I’m a virus or somethin’…”

Mask was floored. Yeah, he hadn’t been the warmest towards the bot, since it was Full Moon’s weird way of trying to cheer him up, but…

“I dooon’t knooow how to fuuucking treaaat youuu.” Mask said quietly. “You… areen’t him.”

The screen went blank. “I… oh.”

The bot walked away.

The next day, Mask found the bot. Destroyed.

And he started to cry.

He was crying over a bot. He was so fucking pathetic.

He felt like this was that day all over again. Had he gotten attached to a bot of Aloha that quickly?

Somehow, Full Moon got into his apartment again, and he could see her carefully pick up the pieces.

After that? She left.

And Mask went right back to his room.

“I made another one!”

Mask stared at Full Moon. “…whyy?”

“Well, he was working pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

“I gueess.”

Mask was left with another bot of Aloha. It was just as cheerful as the last one. It cleaned his apartment again.

He wasn’t going to get attached to this one.

It was just a bot.

It wasn’t Aloha.

Aloha was never coming back.

This time, when the bot asked that question, Mask didn’t answer.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

And Mask stayed silent.

He found the bot destroyed the next morning. It had lasted a week.

“I’m back! And I have another one!”

Mask didn’t even say a word this time. Just curled up in his bed.

“I’ll leave him here for you!”

No response.

And now he had Alohabot number three.

How long would this one last, he wondered?

“Why do you hate me so much?” Three days.

“…I reaaally doon’t.” If he started caring for these bots again, he’d get hurt again.

He’d cry again.

And as per usual, he found the destroyed bot the next morning.

It was an endless cycle. Full Moon would bring him a new one every time the others self-destructed, and Mask got more and more numb as every new one would destroy itself within days.

He started to tell them to sleep on the couch. He didn’t want to see them more than he had to.

Full Moon would come sometimes. She’d sit in the living room on her computer, typing, and would just watch Mask and the robot Alohas together. Sometimes Jersey would come with her, and their visits together always had a lot of whispering.

Mask missed Desi, honestly. He had always seemed to be the most sane of the four, and Mask missed that bit of stability in his life. Desi did visit sometimes, and his visits brought a feeling of peace, however temporary it was. They’d listen to music together, watch some anime, and the robots would normally stay in another room when they did so.

It helped Mask forget the situation he was in.

Bot bot.

An endless cycle of bots.

Where was Full Moon getting the parts to do this?

Where was Full Moon getting the time?

Why was Jersey helping her?

What were the trying to do?

Questions questions questions.

Questions that they would never answer. He’d ask, and they would just giggle a little before going back to what they were doing.

“Mask, I have a new one! This one’s different!”

“Whaaatever.” He didn’t even look up. There wasn’t a point.

He heard his apartment door close, and then the new bot spoke.

“Masky? Man, you’ve really deteriorated. When’s the last time you’ve taken a shower?”

Mask turned. The bot looked the same as the others. The exact same.

So why did it sound so different?

“Aaare you gonna answer me, ooor…?”

“…two weeeks. One of the bots maaade me shooower. I don’t fuuucking remember whaat number it waaas.”

Alo- the bot tilted its head. “What number? You gonna explain that to me, or?”

“What’s the fuuucking poiiint.” Mask grunted. “You’ll be gooone withiiin a feeew daaays, anywaays. All of theeem alwaaays are.”

The bot took a deep breath, and then stayed silent. “Okay, Mask. Whatever.”

This one lasted longer. The three-day mark passed, and the bot was still here.

Why? Why hadn’t the bot followed the cycle?

What was different now?

Skull and Army were visiting today, and Army and Aloha were in Mask’s bedroom chatting. Skull and Mask were in the kitchen.

Mask was drinking soda. Skull had juice.

“What number is this? Twenty-five?” Skull asked.

Mask shrugged. “Dunno.”

“This one lasted longer than the others. It’s been three weeks.”

“Yeaah.”

Silence. They both drank their respective drinks.

“Mask?”

“What?”

“You never told us what happened that day,” the purple inkling said quietly. “Something happened between you two, didn’t it?”

Mask froze. “I…”

“I know it wasn’t anything bad. But they won’t hear you.” Skull added. “They’re loud.”

The cyan inkling’s mind was going a million miles per minute. He didn’t want to talk about this. But it had been months, it would probably be fine, right?

At least it really should be.

“…Aloooha wasn’t feeeeling good that daaay.” Mask mumbled. “He caaame and talked to meee, for some reaaason.”

_“Hey Masky…”_

_Mask looked up at the pink inkling. “Hiii Alooha. You look fuuucking miserable.”_

_Aloha laughed weakly. “Yeah, I do, huh?”_

_“Whaat do you waaant?”_

_Aloha sat down and shrugged. “Just feelin’ miserable today, man.”_

_Mask paused his game, and handed Aloha a controller. “You caaan plaaay with meee todaaay, I gueeess.”_

_Aloha looked at the controller in surprise. He took the controller. “Hey, you don’t hate me after all!”_

_Mask gave him a weird look. “Yeaaah? I neeever reaally saiiid I diid.”_

_Aloha just looked at him, and nodded slowly._

_They played the game for a bit. Aloha was normally somewhat good at the games he played with Mask, since he picked them up easily. This time, though…_

_This time, Aloha almost seemed distracted. He played halfheartedly. He couldn’t get his character to dodge any attacks, and he seemed to shrink every time he failed._

_In response, Mask decided to protect Aloha, in hopes that it would make Aloha feel just a bit better._

_It kind of worked. Aloha lightened up a bit the more they played together, and when it eventually came time that Aloha put down the controller, he had finally gotten his character to dodge a couple of attacks._

_“Thanks, Masky! That was… fun…” He looked down._

_Mask nodded. “Yeaah, whateeever.” After noting the particularly desolate expression on the party squid’s face, he also put down his controller. “Aloooha?”_

_Aloha looked up. “Yeah?”_

_“Are you okaaay?”_

_Silence._

_“I… don’t know.” Aloha answered softly. “Everything’s just felt kinda off lately. Pretty sure I’ve been seein’ some shit, too.” He laughed at that._

_“Off?”_

_Aloha nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been thinkin’ a lot about whether I should…” he trailed off. “Masky, do you hate me?”_

_“Huh? Nooo. I don’t haaate you.”_

_Aloha bit his lip. “Okay… then… do you think Army or Skull hates me? Cause… I dunno, man. Army’s been yellin’ at me a whole bunch lately. And Skull doesn’t really talk to me much. Not that he talked much in the first place, yanno, bu-”_

_Mask hugged the other squid. An action that surprised both himself and Aloha._

_“Masky…?” Aloha’s voice was trembling. Almost as if he was about to cry._

_“They dooon’t haaate youu.” Mask mumbled. “Army’s yeeelling at you becaaause he noooticed you spaaacing ouuut. And heee’s worried. Heee doesn’t knoow hooow to get your atteeention. And Skull juuust doeeesn’t knooow what to saaay.”_

_Aloha was quiet._

_“Theeey caaare abouuut you a looot, idiooot.”_

_“…what about you, Mask?”_

_Mask looked up. “Huh?”_

_“Do you…” Aloha seemed to be tearing up. “Do you care bout me?”_

_Mask really didn’t know how to answer, so he just hugged Aloha tighter._

_This was honestly just… really weird. To be hugging another person. But Mask figured that it was something Aloha really needed, so he kept hugging him._

_At some point, Aloha started to cry. He hiccupped and sobbed and sniffled and honestly just looked like a great big mess._

_Eventually, Aloha spoke again. “Thanks…” Aloha murmured. “This was nice…”_

_It had seemed like Aloha felt better, so Mask had let him go._

…now he wished he hadn’t. He wished he had begged Aloha to stay, to not leave him. Maybe Aloha would still be here if he had cast away with his cold exterior just one fucking time.

“…and thaaat’s whaaat happened.” Mask finished.

Skull was silent.

“Youuu… know whaaat haaappened after, riiight?”

Skull nodded.

“…thiiis is myyy fault, Skuuull…”

The purple inkling looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Mask sighed. “If… if I had juuust asked him to staaay… maaaybe he wouuuldn’t have leeeft…”

“This isn’t your fault, Mask.” Skull said. “You didn’t know this would happen. And you did your best to cheer him up, that day.”

“My beeest waasn’t goood enough.” Mask replied flatly.

Skull didn’t reply. Maybe he was tired of trying to convince Mask that it wasn’t his fault.

They sat in silence until Army came out with Aloha. Army grabbed Skull, and they left Mask’s apartment.

It was just him and the bot now.

“So, guess I’ll crash on the couch again?” The bot said.

Mask just nodded, and headed for his bedroom.

Back on the bed he went. Back in the blankets he went.

“You knooow whaaat?” Mask turned over. “Heeey, Aloooha,” he called. “Coome heere.”

There was a rustling sound, and then the bot was at his bedroom door. “That’s the first time you’ve called me by name. Jeez.”

Mask patted his bed. “Youuu can sleeep here toniiight.”

The bot paused. “Wait… really? You’re not messin’ with me?”

“Huurry uup, before I change my miiiind.”

The bot quickly got into the bed with him, and before he could tell the bot not to touch him, its arms were around him.

“Hey, whaaat are youu-” Mask cut himself off. The bot… was warm. Like… living warm.

“Hm?” The bot made a sleepy grunting noise, and Mask had to admit it was kind of cute.

“…nevermind.” Mask mumbled.

They laid like that for a couple of minutes, before the bot groaned.

“Ughh… she told me _not_ to take the box off, but this seriously sucks for sleepin’.” The arms around Mask were now gone, and he turned his head just in time to see the bot slip off the box, and-

“Alooha?” Oh cod. The face looked exactly like Aloha’s.

“That’s better…” Aloha mumbled, before wrapping his arms back around Mask and nuzzling his neck. “You’re warm…”

Mask had no idea what to do.

Was this one really a bot, or-

…no, there was no way.

Mask yawned. He was tired. Really, really tired.

He could hear breathing coming from the bo- …Aloha. He could hear soft breathing coming from Aloha.

Before he knew it, he was asleep.

After that, he treated Aloha better. There was just… something about him that was different. More inkling. More Aloha. Maybe it was the absence of the tv head.

He… was honestly starting to view him as Aloha. Which… he didn’t know if that was really good or not.

As the days went by, he got closer and closer to Aloha, and the hole Aloha’s disappearance had left in his heart slowly healed.

He noted different things about this Aloha. For instance, this one teased him more than the other bots. He was more touchy. This Aloha would give him hugs all the time. Kind of like the real Aloha.

And all of the hugs were warm. Like a living person.

Every little thing he noticed made him more and more sure that this Aloha may be the real one.

This one didn’t like to clean, for instance. He’d clean a little bit if the mess in Mask’s place got unbearable for him, but he seemed almost comfortable in the mess.

Also, this one ate. Which was a pretty big indicator of living.

Maybe… maybe he was the real one…?

One day, a week later, they were watching a movie. A horror movie, to be exact.

And Aloha looked terrified. Just like the real Aloha, he was scared of horror movies. Poor guy jumped at every jump scare, so now Aloha was close to Mask, holding his hand.

It was warm. Robots shouldn’t be warm. Mask really wanted to ask if…

Fuck it. He took a deep breath. Here goes. This… was going to feel so out of nowhere.

“Aloohaaa? Are youuu… the reaaal Aloooha?” Mask whispered, almost afraid to ask.

Aloha looked up at him, clearly confused. “Yeah? Masky, are you feelin’ alright, dude?”

He… wasn’t gone? He wasn’t gone, then?

Mask stared at him. “You’re… the reaaal Aloooha. You’re heeere.”

Aloha gave him a weird look, then nodded.

Mask nodded back slowly. “Okaaay.” He needed time to process this. A lot of time.

They continued to watch the movie, and Mask stayed silent. Aloha attempted to ask questions, even start up conversations, but Mask stayed quiet. He… didn’t trust his voice to not quiver, to not betray his emotions to the other inkling.

…that night, when he went to sleep, he felt empty. Cold. His brain was working too fast, his thoughts and feelings were everywhere and he couldn’t focus on one sensation or thought.

When he finally got to sleep, he was exhausted from the work his brain was doing to comprehend this revelation.

And Aloha didn’t hug him that night, either.

He spent the next couple of days thinking about it. Contemplating.

Aloha was here. Alive.

But how? And why?

Aloha looked the exact same as he did the last time Mask saw him. Same aloha shirt, same visor, same set of earrings on his visor and ear, same pair of socks…

The exact same.

Either Full Moon had perfected cloning, or this was the real Aloha here.

He… honestly wished it was the cloning.

He was afraid of the possibility of it really being real Aloha. He didn’t want to face his feelings, he didn’t want Aloha to ask that question again.

_“…what about you, Mask?” “Do you… do you care ‘bout me?”_

Or cod forbid the other one.

_“Why do you hate me so much?”_

Mask could easily answer both questions with an “I love you.” He cared about Aloha because he was his friend and he loved him. He didn’t hate Aloha, he loved him.

He wouldn’t ever say it.

Not ever.

He couldn’t.

Who knew when he’d lose Aloha again? He lost him the first time, and lost so many bot versions of him, and now he had the _real_ Aloha back, and he was terrified of losing him.

Of course, he had questions as to what the _fuck_ had happened, but within that anger he felt relieved Aloha was safe.

A week passed. Aloha and Mask talked a little, but not much.

Mask wasn’t doing much. He was on his phone, just scrolling through some game review website idly. He heard Aloha sigh, and the next thing he knew, Aloha was standing in front of him.

“Okay, seriously dude. Did I do somethin’ wrong? ‘cause you gotta tell me, or m’not gonna know.” Aloha looked upset. Almost annoyed. “I know you think m’stupid, but cod, at least say it to my damn face, you-”

“I dooon’t thiiink you’re stuuupid.” Mask replied.

Aloha sighed again. “Okay, so what’d I do wrong? Huh? Cause you not talkin’ to me really ain’t givin’ me much to work off of, yanno!”

Mask put his phone down. “I…”

“Is it me telling you I’m the real me? Did you not want that? Do you not want me here?”

“Noo, it’s nooot-”

“Did you want me to act like those bots of me? Is that what you wanted, Ma-”

“Shuuut up.” Mask forced out. “Aloha, juuust shuuut up for a miiinute.”

“You haven’t been talking to me that much for the past week, Mask.” Aloha seemed ticked off by it, clearly.

“I waaas thiiinking.” Mask replied. “I haven’t seeeen the actual you siiince you left.” He looked back at his phone. “Was tryyying to figure out if you weeere actually reaaal.”

The pink squid froze. “I… wait… left?” Anger melted away, replaced with confusion.

“The nooote you left? Fouuur months ago?” Did he not remember?

“The… nooooh no. I didn’t get to- fuck, m’sorry, Mask.” He looked pained. Guilty.

“Whaaat does that meaaan?” Mask asked. Now that he was on this road, he was going to go the whole way down. He’d waited months. Mask needed some answers.

But Aloha stayed silent.

There was something falling down Mask’s face. He reached up to touch his face.

Tears? Was he crying?

He didn’t want to be crying right now, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the tears. And that made him just a little bit angrier.

He couldn’t even control his own emotions. He was pathetic.

“Heeey, aasshoole!” Mask grabbed Aloha’s shirt. “Aaanswer me! Answer meee cod daaammit! Answer… Answer me…” He sobbed. “Youuu… I _mouuurned_ youu for fouuur months! Fouuur, cod daaammit! And… and youuu were okaaay this whooole fuuucking time? Whyyy did youu… why did youuu leave that coood damn nooote?!” Anger and sorrow were the only two things in Mask’s voice now.

Aloha stared at Mask, almost looking… surprised? Guilty? …afraid?

“Mask… I wasn’t gonna use that note.” Aloha answered softly, his voice trembling. “Yeah, I wrote the thing, but I was gonna burn it when I got back.”

“So why diiidn’t youu?”

Aloha took a deep breath. “I got knocked out when I grabbed the note.”

Mask gave him a confused look, and Aloha continued.

“I was missin’ cause I got squidnapped, Masky…”

The cyan inkling didn’t know how to react. His grip on the other inkling’s shirt loosened until his hands finally fell. “Then… whyyy did you wriiite… why waaas it theeere?”

Aloha looked uncomfortable. “I… uh… wrote it before I went to your apartment. You made me feel good enough that I didn’t think I needed it anymore, but then…” he trailed off. “I know it’s stupid, but-”

“Aloooha.” Mask interrupted. “Juuust… juuust shuut uuup for a moooment.”

“Mask…?” Aloha looked scared. “I… I’m sorry…”

“Aloooha, I…” The cyan inkling looked down. “I’m… glaaad you’re okaaay.”

“Huh?” Aloha seemed surprised. “You’re not mad…?”

Mask sighed. “I aaam, buuut nooot at youuu.” He was starting to regain his composure. Tears were slowing. “Nooot anymore, aaanyways.”

“I… dunno if I should be glad bout that or not.” Aloha laughed awkwardly.

“I don’t waaant to puuunch you anymooore.” Mask replied, giving him a glare. “I reaaally waaanted to puunch you, jerk.”

Aloha sighed. “Fair ‘nough.” He looked down. “Wanted to punch you too. Really thought you hated me, man.”

Mask laughed. “Yeaaah, nooo. I haate you for disappeaaaring.”

“I got squidnapped!” Aloha groaned. “You can’t get mad at me for somethin’ like that!”

Mask folded his arms. “Waaanna test that?”

They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Youuu’re so duuumb.” Mask wheezed out.

Aloha gasped in mock offense. “How dare you! I like me better that way, thank you very much!”

“I liiike you better thaaat waay too. I gueeess.”

“Aw, you aren’t even sure~?” Aloha sat down next to him.

“You wouuuldn’t be Alohaaa without the duuumb, soo…” Mask leaned onto Aloha. “I gueeess I haaave to liiike you that waaay, huuuh?”

“Yup!”

He wanted to hold onto Aloha forever. Just to make sure he wouldn’t leave. Or disappear.

He wanted to make sure Aloha wouldn’t get squidnapped again. Mask didn’t want to think too much about the squidnapping, since he knew exactly which two inklings had done it. He didn’t want to face that fact yet.

For now? He wanted to just enjoy Aloha’s presence. Aloha was here, right next to him, and everything in the world was right again, in his mind.

Right as it could be at that moment.

**Author's Note:**

> this whole concept was made based off of a vent drawing i made and now i have this 
> 
> hello i am going to throw up now
> 
> okay these are the regular notes, this has been in my drafts for TOO LONG im posting this now


End file.
